Man allegedy tries to shoot wife

By Margie Wuebker

NORTH STAR - A 33-year-old North Star-area man is to be arraigned this afternoon on attempted murder charges in Darke County Common Pleas Court.

Justin Douglas Thomas, 13394 U.S. 127, was arrested at his home Monday afternoon after he had fired a gun in his wife's direction. Two children were in close proximity to the 34-year-old woman at the time.

"If the shot had not been deflected, we would have had three people seriously injured or not with us any more," Darke County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Mike Burns told The Daily Standard.

He declined to reveal the identity of another person at the scene who intervened, adding more information would be released following the court appearance.

The woman called authorities at 4:10 p.m. Monday to report having been slapped and threatened by her husband during a domestic dispute. She said he was in the process of getting his gun.

Thomas was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Darke County Jail.

The incident occurred while Thomas was free on bond in an earlier case involving aggravated robbery and abduction. His trial is scheduled to start May 30 in common pleas court.

According to reports, Thomas went to the home of his grandparents in September demanding money. A gun also was involved in that incident, according to Burns.